It was a day like no other.

Oops, been watching Romancing the Stone again, and that catchy line caught my attention. Perhaps I can use it somewhere, one day.

But…

The project is proceeding on course, adhering more to the outline than less, and it’s looking good.

I know just in saying that the ship is about to founder on a reef, so I’ll brace myself.

Today’s quota of words is done early, so I can sit down soon and do the crossword over a cup of coffee while waiting for dinner to cook in the oven.

Perhaps we might have a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with dinner. What I’ve noticed with these is that they are not all the same; some actually taste terrible, and some are quite exquisite. I suspect it might be where they grow the grapes, even if it is in the same region.

And, later, I’ll take another look at the sidebar I decided to add and flesh it out a little more. In view of what is happening, it is rather fortuitous that it came out of left field because it will serve as a reminder that being home doesn’t mean they’re safe.

It was a day like no other.

Oops, been watching Romancing the Stone again, and that catchy line caught my attention. Perhaps I can use it somewhere, one day.

But…

The project is proceeding on course, adhering more to the outline than less, and it’s looking good.

I know just in saying that the ship is about to founder on a reef, so I’ll brace myself.

Today’s quota of words is done early, so I can sit down soon and do the crossword over a cup of coffee while waiting for dinner to cook in the oven.

Perhaps we might have a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with dinner. What I’ve noticed with these is that they are not all the same; some actually taste terrible, and some are quite exquisite. I suspect it might be where they grow the grapes, even if it is in the same region.

And, later, I’ll take another look at the sidebar I decided to add and flesh it out a little more. In view of what is happening, it is rather fortuitous that it came out of left field because it will serve as a reminder that being home doesn’t mean they’re safe.

Like yesterday, the Maple Leafs are playing again, and as much as I want to forsake it and get on with the story, the fact that we are down by a large margin at the end of the first period has allowed me to turn it off, or watch the stage a comeback.

Damn.

I stick with it.

Then, we made a decision to go and see a movie, Last Christmas, because it looked interesting when we saw the preview a few weeks ago.

That means missing half of the third period of ice hockey if we’re going there. Well, there’s always the live broadcast via the phone.

It is not easy driving a car and listening to a brilliant comeback by the Leafs, and the excitement in the car is almost at the same fever pitch as the commentators.

Alas, we lose.

As for the movie, it was everything we hoped for. Two delightful leads who didn’t overact, Emma Thompson as a Yugoslav, and Michelle Yeoh in a restrained performance that I’m unused to seeing her in. Perhaps Star Trek Discovery kick-arse was not needed here.

Christmas, no swearing, no killing sprees, a few songs, and a lesson hidden between the lines. What more could one ask for?

As for the story, I’m having a coffee, and then it’ll be time to get back into the groove.

Or watch Jack Ryan series 3…

Like yesterday, the Maple Leafs are playing again, and as much as I want to forsake it and get on with the story, the fact that we are down by a large margin at the end of the first period has allowed me to turn it off, or watch the stage a comeback.

Damn.

I stick with it.

Then, we made a decision to go and see a movie, Last Christmas, because it looked interesting when we saw the preview a few weeks ago.

That means missing half of the third period of ice hockey if we’re going there. Well, there’s always the live broadcast via the phone.

It is not easy driving a car and listening to a brilliant comeback by the Leafs, and the excitement in the car is almost at the same fever pitch as the commentators.

Alas, we lose.

As for the movie, it was everything we hoped for. Two delightful leads who didn’t overact, Emma Thompson as a Yugoslav, and Michelle Yeoh in a restrained performance that I’m unused to seeing her in. Perhaps Star Trek Discovery kick-arse was not needed here.

Christmas, no swearing, no killing sprees, a few songs, and a lesson hidden between the lines. What more could one ask for?

As for the story, I’m having a coffee, and then it’ll be time to get back into the groove.

Or watch Jack Ryan series 3…

I didn’t take very long to finish my word quota today, and with my spare time, I decided to go back over the plan and see how the second half of the book is holding up against it.

Despite my misgivings about becoming a planner for this exercise, it proved to be a good idea, particularly when you have to write a certain number of words a day to reach the target.

Last year, it was a pantser effort, and I know, at times, I struggled with continuity and found myself having to backtrack when plot changes required earlier intervention.

Writing as a pantzer is much more viable when you have a much longer time to write the story, like a whole year, because I find I sometimes get only so far, and I need to think about the next step.

Today I’ve taken the time to translate all of the notes for the forthcoming chapters into a bound notebook, with several pages for each of the chapters, allowing for a number of possible later changes.

I now feel I’m in a better place to continue.

I didn’t take very long to finish my word quota today, and with my spare time, I decided to go back over the plan and see how the second half of the book is holding up against it.

Despite my misgivings about becoming a planner for this exercise, it proved to be a good idea, particularly when you have to write a certain number of words a day to reach the target.

Last year, it was a pantser effort, and I know, at times, I struggled with continuity and found myself having to backtrack when plot changes required earlier intervention.

Writing as a pantzer is much more viable when you have a much longer time to write the story, like a whole year, because I find I sometimes get only so far, and I need to think about the next step.

Today I’ve taken the time to translate all of the notes for the forthcoming chapters into a bound notebook, with several pages for each of the chapters, allowing for a number of possible later changes.

I now feel I’m in a better place to continue.

I’d like to say I have a cunning plan, but I don’t.

I’m happily working on the final part of part two, and have just completed two of the three chapters. It was going to be two only, but I’ve found that I need one more. The section is still on the revised plan, though a little longer from fleshing out the plotline.

It reads well, but by the time it’s finished, it will change the start of the third section, which I was outlining, and going back to it, the pages now have lots of scribbles on scribbles and crossings out.

Editing the first and second sections as separate parts had crystallised how the start of the third will proceed, and I find myself going over the outline for later chapters and discovering holes I missed the first time through that can now be filled.

And surprisingly, I have a very clear idea of what will be in the last section, and, in fact, I’ve almost worked it through in my head. I think one night I’ll probably sit up and edit what I have already before it all disappears. I’m sure you all know that feeling when the words are there in your head, and you can almost see them.

Until you wake up and it’s all gone.

I’d like to say I have a cunning plan, but I don’t.

I’m happily working on the final part of part two, and have just completed two of the three chapters. It was going to be two only, but I’ve found that I need one more. The section is still on the revised plan, though a little longer from fleshing out the plotline.

It reads well, but by the time it’s finished, it will change the start of the third section, which I was outlining, and going back to it, the pages now have lots of scribbles on scribbles and crossings out.

Editing the first and second sections as separate parts had crystallised how the start of the third will proceed, and I find myself going over the outline for later chapters and discovering holes I missed the first time through that can now be filled.

And surprisingly, I have a very clear idea of what will be in the last section, and, in fact, I’ve almost worked it through in my head. I think one night I’ll probably sit up and edit what I have already before it all disappears. I’m sure you all know that feeling when the words are there in your head, and you can almost see them.

Until you wake up and it’s all gone.

I’m in the middle of writing a new chapter, one that goes back a little in time, but helps set up events that occur later towards the end.

And true to form, it’s going a little off track.

There is scope for it to be a pivotal point in the story, but it’s not quite working out that way.

I’m doing this while I’m waiting for my usual Friday grandchild collection from school. Here I have to get here a half hour before pick up time to get a favourable position in the queue.

So it’s a good time to do some editing.

And it’s where I work on one of my stories, matched to a photo as inspiration.

Not today.

There are pressures in getting the NaNoWriMo project finished, and it’s getting away from me.

This part was not as easy as I hoped, so back to the job. Hopefully, there will be better news tomorrow

I’m in the middle of writing a new chapter, one that goes back a little in time, but helps set up events that occur later towards the end.

And true to form, it’s going a little off track.

There is scope for it to be a pivotal point in the story, but it’s not quite working out that way.

I’m doing this while I’m waiting for my usual Friday grandchild collection from school. Here I have to get here a half hour before pick up time to get a favourable position in the queue.

So it’s a good time to do some editing.

And it’s where I work on one of my stories, matched to a photo as inspiration.

Not today.

There are pressures in getting the NaNoWriMo project finished, and it’s getting away from me.

This part was not as easy as I hoped, so back to the job. Hopefully, there will be better news tomorrow